Petro-Canada Ups Spending for 2008

Article Excerpt

PETRO-CANADA $55 (Toronto symbol PCA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 485.2 million; Market cap: $26.7 billion; SI Rating: Average) plans to increase capital spending in 2008 to $5.3 billion, up 28% from 2007. About two-thirds of this will go to growth projects, such as its Fort Hills oil sands project and the expansion of its Libyan operations. The remaining third will go to replacing reserves in core areas and enhancing existing assets. These investments should expand Petro-Canada’s daily oil production, from 390,000 barrels in 2007 to 420,000 barrels in 2008, and help it take advantage of rising oil prices. The company’s recent repurchase of hedging contracts covering production at the 29.9%-owned Buzzard oil platform in the North Sea should also spur earnings. Petro-Canada is a buy. buy…